The Band
The Band were phenomenal. At one point Eric Clapton left his band (the Yardbirds I believe) to make a pilgrimage to Woodstock with the intention of asking to join the band because he was so impressed.
We also know that Dylan was very close with them, and influenced and was influenced by them.
So, I was thinking, what if when Robbie Robertson left, Clapton actually did move in to replace his guitar? And, simultaneously, instead of going into his solo religious phase, Dylan took over for Robertson's writing?
It just occurred to me that this band would have been quite an addition to the late '70s music landscape. It would have been one hell of a band.
We also know that Dylan was very close with them, and influenced and was influenced by them.
So, I was thinking, what if when Robbie Robertson left, Clapton actually did move in to replace his guitar? And, simultaneously, instead of going into his solo religious phase, Dylan took over for Robertson's writing?
It just occurred to me that this band would have been quite an addition to the late '70s music landscape. It would have been one hell of a band.
Comments
Originally posted by bunge
The Band were phenomenal.
seriously.
OUTLANDISH!
Originally posted by TigerWoods99
You mean to tell me that P Sh¡tty not only recycles beats, but recycles names for his non talented new hip pop TRL phenomenon known as "Da Band" ??
OUTLANDISH!
Outlandish should become a catch phrase!
Jeff
Originally posted by bunge
The Band were phenomenal. At one point Eric Clapton left his band (the Yardbirds I believe) to make a pilgrimage to Woodstock with the intention of asking to join the band because he was so impressed.
We also know that Dylan was very close with them, and influenced and was influenced by them.
So, I was thinking, what if when Robbie Robertson left, Clapton actually did move in to replace his guitar? And, simultaneously, instead of going into his solo religious phase, Dylan took over for Robertson's writing?
It just occurred to me that this band would have been quite an addition to the late '70s music landscape. It would have been one hell of a band.
actually it was cream, he was very impressed that there were NO GUITAR SOLOS on "music from big pink" the bands first album.
then he got roped into blind faith, and it wasn't til his self-titled record that he got to pursue the vision the band inspired.
the band does appear on the wonderful "No Reason To Cry" which was recorded at the band's la studio. (shangra la)
a great tune on that record is "sign language" a dylan tune. ("link wray was playin'....on a jukebox i was payin'.....")
my favorite album by the band was "rock of ages" a live album that feature a great horn section and charts by allen toussaint.
(in fact this was my introduction to allen toussaint who no one really knows, but his tunes are well known. [fortune teller, mother-in-law, southern nights, what do you want the boy to do, workin' in a coal mine, freedom for the stallion] but i digress)
listening to rock of ages you'll be hard pressed to tell it's not a studio album as it is sooo tight.
once robbie left the band they weren't the band, he was the songwriter and the vision and clapton just didn't have the ego at the time to do something like that. clapton likes being a sideman, it took him a long time to be any kind of frontman.
the band reformed (robbie-less) and drummer/mandolin/squeezebox player singer/actor levon helm takes swipes at robbie whenever possible, then keyboardist/drummer/singer richard manuel died, and even the reworked version of the band wasn't much fun. when danko died well that was it, if they play around now i sure wouldn't want to see them.
someone once said "it's funny that the greatest american band was from canada" (except levon)
Originally posted by superkarate monkeydeathcar
someone once said "it's funny that the greatest american band was from canada" (except levon)
Cream, that's right. I know he was blown away by Music From Big Pink, I just wasn't thinking about the timeline correctly.
I love Sign Language and I love Rock of Ages.
Anyway, Eric wasn't ready when he left Cream, but when Robbie left The Band, Eric was a frontman. By that time he could have filled in nicely. And Dylan had just gone through his most prolific phase and could have used The Band again to help direct him towards something new.
So, I was just musing about the possibilities of the post-Robbie Band. I think the guitar of Clapton and the writing of Dylan could have replaced the greatness that was Robbie Robertson. Once he left the Band fell apart, that's true. But those two could have held their own in his place.
And not that I don't appreciate Robbie's contributions to The Band, but his solo career was worse than The Band's career after he left....
when levon took the other boys out on the road robbie said no and the wall was built. clapton would never ever have breached it.
on the king of comedy soundtrack robbie has a cut called "between trains" that's probably his best song since "dixie" or "the weight" it still gives me chills. he produced van morrison's "wonderful remark" on the same soundtrack to wondrous results as well.
clapton's an interesting cat, he sang "badge" for cream but not much else, it was delaney bramlett, who said to him, "you have the gift of a great voice, if you don't use it you'll lose it"
i mean he was happy just playing guitar for delany and bonnie.
as for dylan and the band, it's been said that the "74 tour was dylan's worst experience ever, (even worse than his gospel shows?) but i have to tell you my favorite dylan album is "planet waves"
if you told me i could only take one with me on my desert isle, it would be that.
I actually got to see the Band live at Carnegie Hall. I vaguely remember it as I was very young but i do remember some of it and it was awesome.
I saw Levon Helmes and the Barnburners a few months ago. Levon can't sing anymore do to his lung cancer.... at least i think it was cancer.
Garth was the best though. Followed by Danko. Stage Fright!
My favorite song is probably Acadian Driftwood.
And the Clapton/Robertson duel on Further on up the Road in the Last Waltz never gets old.
Originally posted by superkarate monkeydeathcar
i mean [Clapton] was happy just playing guitar for delany and bonnie.
Kinda sad....
Originally posted by superkarate monkeydeathcar
as for dylan and the band, it's been said that the "74 tour was dylan's worst experience ever, (even worse than his gospel shows?) but i have to tell you my favorite dylan album is "planet waves"
if you told me i could only take one with me on my desert isle, it would be that.
I just bought the remastered Planet Waves. I love it too.
Oh well, I still love The Band.
Originally posted by applenut
I saw Levon Helmes and the Barnburners a few months ago. Levon can't sing anymore do to his lung cancer.... at least i think it was cancer.
I've been hoping Levon makes a trip close enough to me so I can see him. I don't expect it to be good, because of the cancer, but he deserves it.
What's Garth doing these days? I guess he and Robbie kinda patched things up.
i think he was the father figure of the band, the only way he got his family to agree to letting him join the hawks (the bands name when they started out with ronnie hawkins) was if they also took him on as there music teacher as well. that's why everyone in the band plays more than one instrument.
i didn't know about levon's throat cancer, that's kind of sad, remember in the last waltz, when he was talking about the early days and "midnight ramble" and he was lighting that cigarette for what seemed for hours? he made smoking look so good. i think that movie made me start up again.
another thing about the last waltz....they lost all the film from two cameras, that's why the only long shots were from one side of the stage. (left, i think) also he had to go through and clean up a massive cocaine booger on neil young's face, frame by frame.